Can I have over 50s life insurance if I've had cancer?

Over 50 life insurance lets you leave a small lump sum to those you leave behind, after you've passed away. It's called 'whole of life' cover, which means it lasts for as long as you live, rather than for a set period of time.

Our Over 50s Life Insurance is available to anyone aged between 50 and 80, provided they're a permanent UK resident. For our Over 50s Life Insurance there is no cash-in value at any time.

Whether you've had a medical condition like cancer in the past, or you have it while applying for over 50 life insurance, it won't impact your application. Insurers don't need to know about your health for this type of insurance. With our Over 50s Life Insurance, there's no need for a medical. We just need to know whether or not you smoke. There's full cover after one year.

Over 50 insurance policies can generally be taken out from the age of 50 to 80. It lasts for as long as you live, rather than a set period of time and pays out a small lump sum when you pass away. This enables you to leave a gift behind for your loved ones, which could help them towards paying the bills or even contribute to your funeral costs. There is usually no cash-in value at any time.

Our Over 50s Life Insurance is available to anyone aged between 50 and 80, provided they're a permanent UK resident. You're guaranteed to get full cover after one year. 

With us, if you die for any reason after the first 12 months of having the policy, we’ll pay out the full cover amount as a lump sum. This includes dying from cancer or anything related, even if the original cancer was from a time before you had cover. We’ll also pay out the full cover amount if you die because of an accident within the first 12 months.

If you die before the first 12 months have lapsed, and it isn’t an accidental death, we won’t pay out the cover amount, but we’ll pay a sum that’s equal to the premiums that have already been paid. Our Over 50s life insurance policy has no cash-in value at any time. This means, if you decide in future that you no longer want the cover and cancel it, or stop paying premiums when they're due, your cover will end, but you won't get back any of the money you've already paid in. As the cover amount is fixed, inflation will reduce its value over time. It's also worth noting that the total amount you pay for cover depends on how long you live for. You could end up paying in more than is paid out.

We're working in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support to help people living with cancer find the expert support they need.

As one of the largest UK cancer charities, Macmillan offers emotional, medical, and practical support for people whose lives are affected by cancer. And our customer team can point you in the right direction to find the warm helping hand you need. Macmillan has also supported the training of our claims staff, so they’re equipped to handle conversations with customers affected by cancer.